Security Aspects in Education Oriented Multimedia Networks

The article summarizes security aspects related to multimedia networks with special focus to user identification, authentication and authorization procedures and mechanisms. Main stress is taken into account to the secure and flexible access of end users to multimedia contents, implemented on the application layer of the ICT architecture platform. The novel network architectures supported innovative educational paradigms "Student self-directed learning" based on "Student centric" model of education, is described in the paper. Practical part of the paper introduces application of modern multimedia network architecture, with the integration of the actual HbbTV concept in the heterogeneous ICT infrastructure, to provide online and off-line educational multimedia content to end users - students participating in the e/m-learning process. The Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) based on web services, a "distributed architecture that enables software components to be published as services over the Internet through a programmable interface and using Internet protocols for the purpose of the providing ways to find, subscribe, and invoke those services" [4]. The wide portfolio of the multimedia content and e/m-learning approaches and mechanisms are presented in the paper. The integration of the HbbTV concept to the heterogeneous ICT infrastructure, applicable for the on-line and off-line educational process is described in the paper.